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Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant apparently recorded a video of himself with what appeared to be a toy gun just one day after he allegedly brandished handgun in a social media video for a second time.
On Friday, the NBA announced Morant would be suspended for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season due to conduct detrimental to the league.
A video obtained by TMZ shows a right arm with identical tattoos to Morant. At one point in the video, the gun is used to light a pair of candles.
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Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies during an NBA Summer League game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Vivint Arena July 5, 2022, in Salt Lake City. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
Before the the video ends, the person believed to be Morant appears to say, "You hold it, and everything comes out."
In March, Morant flashed a handgun during an Instagram Live video stream while he was inside a Denver-area nightclub. The NBA subsequently suspended him for eight games.
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During a recent appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the second incident.
"It’s something that I’m thinking a lot about because, again, I’m not going to get into specifics about the investigation — but, in fact, if you’re livestreaming something to the world that looks exactly like a gun and in a, frankly, reckless manner, should it matter whether or not it’s a real gun?" Silver said.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts during the first half in Game 4 of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles April 24, 2023. (Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports)
On Friday, Silver called Morant's decision to wield a weapon on social media for a second time "alarming."
"Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games," Silver said in a statement when announcing Morant's 25-game suspension.
"The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated."
Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies brings the ball up court during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at FedEx Forum Dec. 31, 2022, in Memphis. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Morant issued an apology shortly after the suspension was handed down.
"I’ve had time to reflect, and I realize how much hurt I’ve caused," Morant said Friday in a statement. "I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates and the city of Memphis. To Adam Silver, [Grizzlies GM] Zach Kleiman and [Grizzlies owner] Robert Pera — who gave me the opportunity to be a professional athlete and have supported me — I’m sorry for the harm that I’ve done.
"To the kids who look up to me, I’m sorry for failing you as a role model. I promise I’m going to be better. To all of my sponsors, I’m going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all of my fans, I’m going to make it up to you, I promise."
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Morant, a two-time NBA All-Star, averaged 26.2 points, 8.1 assists and 5.9 assists last season.
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